Al Seer Marine, a subsidiary of Abu Dhabi-based International Holding Company, bought two very large crude carriers worth Dh404 million ($110m) as the company continues to expand its fleet amid higher demand for crude globally.
The new vessels, MV Twin Castor and MV Twin Pollux, each have a carrying capacity in the range of 320,000 deadweight tonnage to transport crude oil, provisions, lubricant and fuel, the company said in a statement on Monday to the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange, where its shares are traded.
The newly acquired tankers are expected to provide estimated returns of more than 20 per cent to the company amid higher demand and an increase in crude oil production.
“This acquisition of two new crude oil tankers is strategically driven given the current market conditions, and we expect to see strong returns as oil demand recovers and ship recycling returns to normal levels,” Guy Neivens, chief executive of Al Seer Marine, said.
“With 19 per cent of existing global crude carrier supply dated at over 18 years old, they will be due for scrapping or recycling in the next few years. This will cause the global fleet numbers to shrink even further, presenting an opportune time for Al Seer Marine to expand.”
Al Seer Marine plans to acquire up to 15 ships in 2022 as it seeks to become a major global player in the commercial shipping segment.
The company recently acquired two liquefied petroleum gas tankers valued at a combined Dh246m and has very large gas carriers currently under construction as part of a joint venture with BGN International.
The company, which had assets worth Dh7.37 billion at the end of March 2022, has a diversified portfolio and offers services, including management and training, construction of vessels, high-tech boatbuilding, unmanned systems development and manufacturing.
It reported a more than eightfold jump in its first-quarter profit to Dh75.6m as revenue grew close to 41 per cent to Dh171m, according to its financial statement.
IHC is majority-owned by Abu Dhabi's PAL group of companies. The conglomerate includes more than 30 entities with 22,345 employees and is diversifying its holdings across sectors such as property, agriculture, health care, food and beverage, utilities, retail and leisure.
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AUSTRALIA SQUAD
Aaron Finch, Matt Renshaw, Brendan Doggett, Michael Neser, Usman Khawaja, Shaun Marsh, Mitchell Marsh, Tim Paine (captain), Travis Head, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Jon Holland, Ashton Agar, Mitchell Starc, Peter Siddle
Closing the loophole on sugary drinks
As The National reported last year, non-fizzy sugared drinks were not covered when the original tax was introduced in 2017. Sports drinks sold in supermarkets were found to contain, on average, 20 grams of sugar per 500ml bottle.
The non-fizzy drink AriZona Iced Tea contains 65 grams of sugar – about 16 teaspoons – per 680ml can. The average can costs about Dh6, which would rise to Dh9.
Drinks such as Starbucks Bottled Mocha Frappuccino contain 31g of sugar in 270ml, while Nescafe Mocha in a can contains 15.6g of sugar in a 240ml can.
Flavoured water, long-life fruit juice concentrates, pre-packaged sweetened coffee drinks fall under the ‘sweetened drink’ category
Not taxed:
Freshly squeezed fruit juices, ground coffee beans, tea leaves and pre-prepared flavoured milkshakes do not come under the ‘sweetened drink’ band.
WHAT FANS WILL LOVE ABOUT RUSSIA
FANS WILL LOVE
Uber is ridiculously cheap and, as Diego Saez discovered, mush safer. A 45-minute taxi from Pulova airport to Saint Petersburg’s Nevsky Prospect can cost as little as 500 roubles (Dh30).
FANS WILL LOATHE
Uber policy in Russia is that they can start the fare as soon as they arrive at the pick-up point — and oftentimes they start it even before arriving, or worse never arrive yet charge you anyway.
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It’s amazing how active Russians are on social media and your accounts will surge should you post while in the country. Throw in a few Cyrillic hashtags and watch your account numbers rocket.
FANS WILL LOATHE
With cold soups, bland dumplings and dried fish, Russian cuisine is not to everybody’s tastebuds. Fortunately, there are plenty Georgian restaurants to choose from, which are both excellent and economical.
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The World Cup will take place during St Petersburg's White Nights Festival, which means perpetual daylight in a city that genuinely never sleeps. (Think toddlers walking the streets with their grandmothers at 4am.)
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The walk from Krestovsky Ostrov metro station to Saint Petersburg Arena on a rainy day makes you wonder why some of the $1.7 billion was not spent on a weather-protected walkway.
Sri Lanka v England
First Test, at Galle
England won by 211
Second Test, at Kandy
England won by 57 runs
Third Test, at Colombo
From Nov 23-27
